Are Lebanese Arabs

 

Hi boys,

I'm a Lebanese American woman of Maronite stock. My great grandfather, who was born about 1890 always referred to himself as a Syrian, though my grandmother said her father was from the Lebanese province or Hardeen, if that's how it's spelled. From him my grandmother and her brothers learned to understand, but not speak, a language she assumed was Arabic, but lately on the net I've been reading that the majority of Lebanese aren't Arabs, but Canaanites. Now, I knew about the Phoenicians, but I assumed they went that they went the way of all flesh long ago and had been supplanted by the Arabs, who dominate everywhere from Morocco to Iraq. I know the Biblical Canaanites were the original, um, earlier, inhabitants of the eastern Mediterranean coast and that the Hebrews never quite managed to exterminate them as their Lord commanded, but how is it that they (we) survive to the present day. Obviously the Canaanites are close cousins to other Middle Eastern people, and have intermarried and intermingled their blood to some extent, but please tell me if you know more, or can direct me to a good site.

Thanks,

Merkin

I spoke to a french lebanese maronite, and he didnt consider himself arab but phoenicain, which is a type of canaanite (i think). Language wise its was all shades of semetic; armaic or syriac . Talking to muslim lebanese, they are arab and nothing else. My impressions is that islam was a great force in arabising (if thats a word) that part of the M/E. 

Racially Lebanies are not Arabs they are decendents of the Phonecians who are believed to be of Semetic origion